First Contentful Paint (FCP) is a performance metric. It helps measure the total time a browser, or webpage, takes to load the first piece of content.
But, you should also know that FCP isn’t just a mere number! Rather, it is the first impression that a user holds for your website. Added to that, before Google announced its three core web vitals for website performance checks- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and First Input Delay (FID), it focused on two metrics- FCP and FID.
So, let’s explore this blog and take a look at how first contentful paint WordPress works, and what tools you can use to measure your website’s FCP score.
What’s a Good FCP Score?
Since FCP is a performance metric, it has a score that can help you determine whether you are on the right track or your website is sluggish and needs improvement!
So, what score is a good score when it comes to FCP? Well, as per the guidelines mentioned by Google, a 1.8-second or less load time is considered to be a pretty good FCP score, as this offers a great user experience for people visiting your website.
Now, if your FCP score ranges somewhere between 1.8 to 3 seconds, understand that your website is a little sluggish and needs improvement. And if the FCP score is above 3 seconds, Google defines it as a ‘poor’ score, and it definitely indicates that your website is slow!
At this point, you may think this to be a trivial matter. But, research suggests that about 53% of mobile users exit a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load! So, that’s something that you need to take seriously!
What are the Tools to Measure FCP?
If you want to know how to improve first contentful paint, the first thing you need is a tool to measure it!
But, there’s a catch. FCP can either be measured in the lab or in the field! Now, lab stands for developers, and field stands for the real-time experience that users face. So, here is a list of some of the best lab as well as field tools that can help you diagnose your FCP score-
Lab Tools:
- Lighthouse
- PageSpeed Insights
- Chrome DevTools
Field Tools:
- PageSpeed Insights
- Chrome User Experience Report
- Search Console (Speed Report)
What’s the importance of FCP in Web Performance?
Since FCP is a key indicator of a user’s first impression on your website, it stands as a crucial element in measuring your overall website performance. The swifter your FCP is, the more it assures users that your website is approachable.
However, if you look at it from an SEO perspective, FCP isn’t a direct ranking factor for your website. But it definitely has a huge impact on Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which eventually affects your website’s overall SERP rankings.
So, if you know how to improve your FCP score, you are actually making it a win-win situation. How so? Well, if your website loads quickly, the happiest people are your users, and they tend to stick around your website for a longer time. This increases the overall engagement and boosts your website’s ranking naturally.
Are there any Dedicated WordPress Plugins to improve FCP Score?
Yes indeed! If your website is powered by WordPress, here is a list of first contentful paint WordPress plugins that can help improve your FCP score-
- WP Rocket
- LiteSpeed Cache
- Jetpack Boost
Also, if you are interested to learn how to improve your FCP score, here are 6 hacks that can help you achieve your goal and enhance your website performance seamlessly!
Wrapping Up
Google policies might change the way it looks at performance metrics, but that doesn’t make FCP any less important! First Contentful Paint still plays a fundamental role in making a great first impression, which eventually translates to a good user experience.
So, make sure to diagnose your FCP, and try to keep your FCP score below 1.8 seconds to deliver a great user experience, and help your website rank on top of SERPs seamlessly. And if you are interested in sharing such insightful blogs, send us your writings under our tech write-for-us section for a chance to get featured!